Cech injury needed 50 stitches

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is understood to have required an astonishing 50 stitches in the facial injury that has wrecked his comeback bid.

Cech was on the brink of a return for tomorrow night’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Fenerbahce but the training-ground accident required immediate facial surgery yesterday and has now put him out of action for a further two weeks at least.

Cech, who had only just recovered from an ankle injury, is believed to have been hurt in an accidental collision with Israeli defender Tal Ben-Haim.

The Czech Republic international had a lengthy lay-off with a fractured skull last season and still wears a protective helmet.

Manager Avram Grant had earlier confirmed the facial injury, which has rocked his preparations for the return clash with the Turks, although he stopped short of naming the other player involved.

Grant confirmed: “I don’t feel so good about it. But any player who is injured does not make me happy.

“He has been a little bit unlucky this year. He was great in training and felt very good. He got injured in training and will be out for two weeks or something like that.

“It was a tackle between two players, it does not matter who the other player was. What matters is that he is injured. This year has not been a good year for him, it is his third injury.”